The Preston Pirates put together an impressive showing at the Stroud Festival this past week, stringing together three convincing victories behind explosive offense, dominant pitching and flawless defense.

Facing a competitive field, the Pirates showcased why they have been one of the hottest teams in the area, outscoring opponents 26-5 across the three-game stretch against Kellyville, Holdenville and Cushing.

— Preston 6, Kellyville 2

Preston wasted little time setting the tone in its opening game Thursday, jumping out early and never looking back in a 6-2 win over the Kellyville Ponies.

The Pirates struck first in the opening inning when Jace Basquez delivered a productive groundout that plated two runs. Preston added to its lead in the second inning in emphatic fashion, as Braxton Clarkson and Kaden Dean each launched home runs to fuel a four-run frame.

On the mound, Hunter McElhannon delivered a strong performance, earning the win after allowing just three hits and one unearned run over five innings. The right-hander struck out nine and walked four. Basquez came on in relief to secure the save.

Dean led the offensive effort with three RBIs, while Clarkson, Tyler Stevenson, Pepper Gallup and Dean each recorded a hit. Defensively, the Pirates were sharp, turning a double play and committing no errors. Bryce McNac anchored the defense with a team-high 12 chances.

Kellyville was led by Asher Thornbrue, who collected two hits, while Tyler Goins drove in a run. The Ponies showed patience at the plate with six walks but were unable to overcome Preston’s early surge.

— Preston 11, Holdenville 2

Preston’s bats stayed red-hot Friday, erupting for eight runs in the first inning en route to an 11-2 victory over the Holdenville Wolverines.

The explosive opening frame featured contributions up and down the lineup. Basquez added a sacrifice fly, Peyton Fjeldsted and Nick Costanza each drove in runs with singles and Dean capped the inning with a two-run hit.

Holdenville answered with a solo home run by Bo Black in the second inning, but the Pirates quickly regained control, adding two more runs in the third on RBI efforts from Dean and Stevenson.

Karson Herbert picked up the win, striking out seven and allowing just one run over three innings. Tyler Stevenson started the game, surrendering only one hit and one run across two innings.

Preston tallied nine hits in the contest, with Dean leading the way with three RBIs on a 2-for-3 performance. Fjeldsted also recorded two hits, while Costanza showed discipline at the plate with three walks. As a team, the Pirates drew six walks.

The Pirates were aggressive on the base paths, swiping five bases, including two by Stevenson. Once again, Preston’s defense was flawless, committing no errors, with Gallup recording nine defensive chances.

Holdenville’s Landon Yates led his team with two hits, while Black and Jordan Harjo each recorded an RBI.

— Pirates 9, Cushing 1

Preston closed out the tournament with perhaps its most dominant performance, defeating the Cushing Tigers 9-1 behind a masterful outing from Kaden Dean.

Dean was nearly unhittable on the mound, striking out 14 batters while allowing just two hits and one run over five innings.

At the plate, Dean also made his presence felt early, doubling in two runs in the first inning. Stevenson followed with an RBI single to give Preston a quick 3-0 lead.

The Pirates added two more runs in the third inning on RBI singles from Basquez and Weston Cope, continuing to build on their advantage.

Preston racked up 10 hits in the game, with Dean, Basquez, Stevenson and Cope each collecting two hits. Dean and Basquez each drove in three runs.

Plate discipline remained a key factor, as the Pirates drew six walks, with Nick Costanza and McElhannon leading the way with two each. On the bases, Preston stayed aggressive, tallying four stolen bases, including three from McElhannon.

– Across all three games, the Pirates combined for:

• 26 runs scored

• 29 total hits

• 19 walks drawn

• 9 stolen bases

• 0 errors committed The combination of timely hitting, dominant pitching and fundamentally sound defense proved to be the difference throughout the tournament.

Preston’s pitching staff was especially impressive, allowing just five runs over three games while racking up strikeouts in key moments, highlighted by Dean’s 14-strikeout performance against Cushing and McElhannon’s nine-strikeout outing against Kellyville.